News

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar – 25-26th April

On
April 25-26th in Naypyitaw, the ICEM team led a workshop with staff
from the government of Myanmar’s Irrigation and Water Utilization Management
Department (IWUMD) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation
(MOALI). This workshop aimed to build capacity in spatial analysis and
application of the spatial mapping software ArcGIS. The workshop guided
participants to apply these skills to geological mapping, groundwater
management and irrigation management via a series of practical, participatory
exercises.

This
workshop comes as part of a broader ongoing support from the Australian Water Partnership (AWP)
towards integrated water management in Myanmar. In the 1980s, substantial work
was carried out to survey the hydrogeology of Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone (CDZ)
to understand the potential for groundwater as a source of rural water supply.
Almost thirty years later, after Australia renewed the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to support integrated water management, AWP supported members of the original
Australian-led team to review, update and complete the hydrogeological review
of the CDZ. The book, entitled ‘Hydrogeology of the Dry Zone – Central Myanmar’,
was published
in October 2017 in English language.

Since then, ongoing support from AWP and the Government of Myanmar has been provided towards the translation of the book into Burmese, which is expected to be released in June 2019. Additionally, the maps and GIS layers in the book have been digitized, with support from ICEM. The increase in spatial mapping and analysis capacity will allow the Groundwater Division to better understand and update the maps from the CDZ review. This will aid the Government of Myanmar in developing and improving integrated water management in the CDZ.

Through the Disaster Preparedness Pilot Project (DPPP), funded by the Swiss Red Cross, ICEM is supporting the Department of Disaster Management address these challenges by improving the country’s capacity and systems on contingency planning and preparedness for earthquakes and seismic risk. Specifically, ICEM will facilitate the development of a contingency plan and standard operating procedures for the operation of the national Emergency Operating Center, the initiation and termination of international assistance, and post-earthquake recovery mechanisms.

On 11th December 2018, ICEM experts facilitated a workshop on risk analysis in Paro, Bhutan. Through a range of participatory working sessions, disaster responders and managers from various government departments developed a detailed hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment for seismic risk in the country. They also brainstormed various earthquake scenarios, plotted on a risk matrix presenting the different scenarios’ likelihood and potential impact. Both the Seismic Hazard, Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment and the scenarios are major inputs for the national Seismic Risk Contingency Plan, to be developed in the first half of 2019.

Myanmar – December

The Ayeyarwady is Myanmar’s largest river system. Measuring the length of the country, it is both a crucial source of livelihoods and a vital commercial waterway. Along the river, many are dependent on the fertile riverbank fields and gardens, its fisheries, water for crop irrigation and for transportation. The river is also a source of culture with countless religious and historical monuments lining its banks and a historic channel that takes goods across the country.

The development of inland waterway transport (IWT) along this river is seen as integral to the economic development of Myanmar. To improve IWT along priority stretches of the river, and to design a cost-effective, environmentally and socially acceptable strategy for managing the full length of the navigation channel the Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBMP) was launched.

An Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) of development of a 160 km stretch of river between Mandalay and Nyaung Oo has now been completed. The purpose of the development is to improve future navigation, allowing for 1,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) barges to navigate up the river from Yangon to Mandalay during the dry season. Civil works may include closing subsidiary low-water channels with bunds and placement of flow-guiding structures such as groynes and embankments. Other activities include dredging, elimination of obstacles, bank and bed protection.

The objective of the ESA was to provide information to inform the design and detailed Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of future navigation enhancement interventions for this area, as such interventions may cause adverse environmental and social impacts from changes to aquatic and riparian habitats in response to changes in river morphology, flow, depth, sediment flux, water quality and turbidity. Transport and disposal of dredged materials may […]

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar – 19th-20th November

The Geographic Information System (GIS) training, which took place from the 19th-20th of November in Nay Pyi Taw, was conducted as a follow up activity to the Myanmar hydropower Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) which ICEM completed on commission from IFC earlier in 2018. The outcome of the SEA included several reports detailing the environmental and social implications of hydropower development in Myanmar and a Sustainable Development Framework implementation plan for the sector with practical recommendations.
The training course provided an additional level of technical support to complement these knowledge products. The goal of providing GIS capacity building is to build on the SEA process and results, and provide relevant Myanmar government ministries with the tools to conduct similar analyses and better plan for future hydropower projects not included in the 2018 SEA.
The training involved technical staff from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC). Participants learned how to perform basic functions of GIS along with their application to the SEA analysis and hydropower dams. The training included presentations, guided exercises, and group exercises. Other practical GIS applications were presented as well, including using cell phones as a GPS tool to collect spatial information in the field.
There was a great level of engagement and the training was considered a success by IFC. ICEM will conduct a second, more extensive GIS training in early 2019 for a larger audience to present more advanced topics and further build GIS capacity for government ministries in hydropower sector development planning within river basin contextsVisit the SEA of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar project pageRead more about […]

Yangon, Myanmar – 6th December 2018

On the 4-6th of December 2018, the Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon hosted the 6th annual Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy. This year, around 30 organizations held sessions on a diverse range of topics, from smart innovations for better decision making in Deltas from the Delft University of Technology, Improving Forest-Fungi Systems Agroforestry from the Kunming Institute of Botany, to cross-border water cooperation through sub-national and community-led initiatives in the Ganges and Mekong basins from Oxfam.

Hydropower was a recurring theme – from Oxfam’s session about civil society perspectives of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower in Myanmar to a session from Spectrum SDKN about Gender and Resettlement at the Upper Paunglaung Relocation Villages in Myanmar.

This year, ICEM hosted a session under the sub-theme ‘innovative water governance’ on the role of environmental assessment tools in achieving sustainability and resilience in river basin development. Three studies were presented: the SEA of hydropower in Myanmar, SEA of the Lancang-Mekong river development plan, and the ESIA of river training works on the Ayeyarwady, downstream of Mandalay and a panel debate with three regional experts. The presentations aimed to answer three key questions: what lessons can be drawn from these studies to guide future SEA/ESIAs, what are the outstanding issues for resolution and concern, and what are some priority developments which would benefit from these assessment tools. There was great audience participation and enthusiastic discussion, with a key takeaway being the need for greater, and meaningful participation of local people.

ICEM also presented case studies of climate change impact and vulnerability at seven wetland sites on the Mekong at the ‘ShareFair’ poster exhibition space. The case studies are part of the “Basin-wide Climate […]

Yangon, Myanmar – November 28th, 2018
Final Report of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector in Myanmar is now available.
Myanmar currently has the lowest rate of electrification in Southeast Asia, with only 40% of the population supplied. Hydropower has huge potential to address this demand. However, conventional hydropower development is the region has often been carried out without due consideration for cumulative effects on basin health, ecosystem services and local communities. Accordingly, the SEA of the hydropower sector in Myanmar has sought to provide a Sustainable Development Framework for hydropower in each of Myanmar’s major river basins to balance economic development with healthy river functioning and social equity “over the next century and beyond.”
This report – the culmination of work which has been ongoing since 2016, outlines significant environmental and social issues, analyses sustainability requirements for each major basin in Myanmar, and provides a Sustainable Development Framework implementation plan with practical recommendations for hydropower policy, design, planning, siting, implementation and management.
Read the full report now The overall SEA was carried out by ICEM and the Myanmar Institute for Integrated Development, and the Final Report prepared by IFC. The SEA was led by Myanmar’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) and Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE), with support from Australian Aid and IFC.For more information, visit the SEA of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar project pageRead 10 things you should know about the Myanmar hydropower SEARead […]

Vietnam is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Building resilience to climate change is, therefore, an urgent task and a major challenge for maintaining the country’s economic growth in the short term and for improving quality of life for all in the long term. Despite that fact, there is still some ambiguity around what ‘resilience’ means in policy and practice.

In order to build a better understanding of resilience among young people and to support Vietnam government’s efforts in building climate resilience, this November, French Development Agency (AfD) partnered with Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to organise the conference “Youth and climate change: the challenge is today, which solutions for tomorrow?” at Hanoi University of Science. The one-day event highlighted the cooperation and support between French government and Vietnamese counterparts in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the commitment of the two countries to meet their goals under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The conference served as a platform to share international and local best practices in strengthening climate resilience in urban planning, urban development, flood management and coastal erosion management. Policy makers from Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development presented government policies and plans towards addressing climate change impacts in delta, coastal and urban settings. Key experts also shared their experience with different tools and solutions to improve understanding of risks and […]

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – October, 2018
Increased industrial activity and urban expansion has been putting serious pressure on Mongolia’s water sources. The Implementing innovative approaches for water governance project, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aims to support the government to improve the national structure and regulatory framework for water governance.
During the visit, the consulting team met with senior level representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and national team partners at the Institute of Geology and Geo-ecology (IGG) and the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IRIMHE). The meetings were used an as opportunity to establish priorities for the project and refine the scope of the work that will take place.
The mission also included a workshop session attended by over 70 representatives from River Basin Organisations (RBOs), national agencies, and the ADB. This provided an opportunity to introduce the project and the intended outcomes and also allowed for input from stakeholders. Issues discussed ranged from a need for a stronger state database and improved data collection and entry procedures, desire for tangible project impacts and technical trainings, and interest in implementing management strategies using advanced technology.
Following the mission, the team will work closely with national representatives to develop strategies for effective river basin plan implementation, design and employ pilot projects in selected river basins, and begin work on improving the state water database. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2020.

Ensuring safe and resilient urban growth is a priority of the ASEAN member counties. The region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and will continue to be so due to the effects of climate change.

ICEM has developed a free, self-learning training course on disaster risk management for practitioners involved in urban planning in support of BUILD SAFELY, a programme under Phase II of the ASEAN agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2016-2020.

The course contains three modules which provide useful approaches, methods and tools:

The materials cover processes and procedures that architects, engineers, urban planners and others involved in urban planning are familiar with and apply in their work.

The materials may be downloaded and completed independently. They include PowerPoints, written and video based case studies, handout style reading materials and activities. The course will take approximately 2.5 days, but can be undertaken over a longer period.

The Government of Nepal has prioritized addressing the impacts of climate change and seismic hazards on transport infrastructure. The country is facing numerous challenges to manage geohazard risks to its road infrastructure, including challenging terrain, the unstable geology of the Himalayas, and the annual monsoon rainfall. To support the government to identify, assess and prioritize risk mitigation measures, the World Bank initiated the Geohazard Risk Management and Resilient Road Asset Management in Nepal project. The project will help improve the country’s road network resilience to seismic hazards and climate change.

In July, a team of specialists from ICEM and GEOCE went on a scoping and baseline assessment mission to Nepal under the Improving the Resilience of Nepal’s Strategic Roads Network project, implemented as component II of the larger World Bank initiative. This component looks to expand the current flood, landslide and seismic risk assessments in Nepal and contribute to government’s ongoing works in increasing the resilience of roads and bridges.

During the visit, the team met with senior level representatives from the Department of Roads (DOR), the Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads (DOLIDAR) and the World Bank. The roundtable meeting was used as an opportunity to introduce the project, its methodology, and the main principles of the DOR’s approach to building resilient infrastructure. These principles must be taken into account when revising the project methodology, and kept in mind as the project progresses in order to ensure results are aligned with the DOR’s approach.

The meeting involved a plenary discussion of key technical issues of the project as identified by government counterparts, the […]

To meet crucial development, inclusion and environmental goals in low-income countries and emerging markets, investment in large infrastructure is critical. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimated in 2017 that the developing Asia needed to invest around $26 trillion from 2016 to 2030 ($1.7 trillion annually) in transport, power, telecommunications and water and sanitation infrastructure to maintain current levels of growth.

To increase knowledge on the risks of climate change to critical infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia, and to build a better understanding of the actions and innovations necessary to build critical infrastructure resilient to climate change, the ADB has commissioned TA 9191: Building Climate Change Resilience in Asia’s Critical Infrastructure. The project is being carried out by a joint venture between ICEM – International Centre for Environmental Management, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), and Philkoei International. The project supports ADB’s effort to scale-up climate-resilient investments in its developing member countries (DMCs).

The project team recently undertook its first consultation mission to Indonesia, one of the project’s three pilot countries, to engage relevant Indonesian government agencies and to refine the scope of work in the country.

Transport infrastructure in Jakarta, Indonesia

The team met with various government agencies, institutes and organizations to secure their involvement, including the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH), Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MFF) and National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB).

Myanmar’s rivers are a key national resource, providing irrigation, hydropower, water supplies for cities and industries, and navigation and transport routes. They are also important ecosystems, supporting productive fisheries both inland and in the deltas, and underpinning the livelihoods of Myanmar communities. As Myanmar develops, aquatic ecosystems are under pressure from changes to the river systems, necessary to foster economic growth, but impacting on the ecosystem services and products provided by rivers.

The Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative (MHRI) aimed to develop and test a river health framework which allows government and communities to monitor the status of the riverine ecosystem services they value, and provides evidence for informed, integrated water resource management (IWRM) planning. The project focused on Myanmar’s two iconic rivers; the Ayeyarwady, and the Thanlwin.

The project was recently completed, and all reports and publications produced are now available to view and download. Among others, these include river basin health report cards, river health monitoring frameworks, community river health surveys and a community river health monitoring manual. A characterization of the hydro-ecological zones of the Ayeyarwady River basin, and state of knowledge reports for both basins are also included.

Located in the northern mountainous area of Vietnam, Bac Kan Province is increasingly affected by extreme weather events, aggravated by the impacts of climate change. Droughts, flashfloods, and landslides frequently cause severe damage to agricultural production and livestock, harming the livelihoods of local people in the province.

This July the project team, consisting of experts from ICEM and AREP, visited Bac Kan City to gather information of the challenges that the city is facing as well as proposed responses. First, the team met with the local People’s Committee to clarify key concerns regarding a proposed project to protect areas of the city against flooding and bank erosion of the Cau River. The proposed project includes the construction of new embankments, dredging along this area, and the construction of two weirs. ICEM would review these plans and assess their effectiveness towards achieving their intended goals.

After the meeting, the team visited sites relevant to the project such as the city’s main drainage outflow and sluice gate to the Cau River, areas where landslides occurred during previous storms, upstream drainage channels, existing embankments, and proposed embankment sites. The team took photos and notes on each of the sites to later add to their recommendations on the city’s proposal. The People’s Committee accompanied the project team to provide additional information on each of these sites.

Building on an already extensive track record of experience in South Asia, the ICEM project portfolio in the region has recently expanded with two more projects, building on experience in Nepal and now also including Bhutan. ICEM also added one more project to its current portfolio of projects in Myanmar.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector in Myanmar, draft Final Report is now available for review and comment. The SEA focuses on the country’s hydropower potential while mapping out environmental and social complexities. The SEA will identify opportunities to sustain natural river basin processes that regulate and maintain river health and other ecosystems services.

A key recommendation outlined in the SEA is to preserve the mainstems of Myanmar’s key rivers, including the Ayeyarwady, Thanlwin and Chindwin, encouraging decision makers to explore locations that carry less environmental, social and cultural risk.

“Recommending to protect the mainstems of Myanmar’s key rivers would be a monumental achievement with multiple socio-economic benefits, keeping the natural ecosystems of our country. We hope to see this recommendation moved forward by decision makers,” said U Hla Maung Thein, Director General, Environmental Conservation Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC). “Our department has reviewed the SEA final report and recommendations, and we agree with the direction it is pointing hydropower development in.”

According to Daw Mi Mi Khaing, Director General of Department of Electric Power Planning, Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE), “this is the first time we have a basin-wide perspective on environmental and social values, which will help decision makers better site hydropower projects.”

Once finalised, the SEA Final Report will be published online in English and Myanmar. A concise summary will also be made available in select ethnic languages.

As Myanmar develops, pressure on the country’s rivers is increasing. With limited data available to inform management decisions, sustainable development of these key national resources is challenging. In response, the Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative (MHRI) was launched; an applied research project designed to help government and communities explore different techniques to monitor river health and inform sustainable management of the rivers and the ecosystem services they supply.

Launched in 2015, the project is managed by the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM) with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and local partners Ecosystem Conservation and Community Development Initiative (ECCDI) and Myanmar Institute for Integrated Development (MIID). The project team work with the Ministry of Natural Resources Environment and Conservation (MONREC) and consulted a wide range of stakeholders from national to community level. Support and funding is provided by the WLE Greater Mekong Program and the Australian Government.

This March, final river health monitoring indicators, tools and results were presented to core government partners at the project’s final workshop. The event was also an opportunity to explore next steps and considerations for implementation and up-scaling of the Myanmar River Health Framework, a resource kit which includes characterisation of the main users, uses and values of river systems; a set of simple environmental indicators specifically designed to monitor changes and trends in these uses; a set of assessment tools and approaches; and guidelines on how to implement and analyse river health monitoring and reporting.

The framework was developed with a range of techniques, from analysis of satellite imagery to community based monitoring. The studies were conducted in Myanmar’s two iconic river basins, the Ayeyarwady […]

New initiatives to build resilience to climate change in Cambodia are edging closer to implementation following a national workshop in Phnom Penh this March. The workshop served to review the results of six feasibility studies for projects focusing on climate resilience in Cambodia, and to identify projects most likely to receive financing from climate funds.

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is seeing accelerating economic growth, but this success comes at a price – the depletion of the region’s natural resources. This steady decline of natural stocks is resulting in the degradation in ecosystem services and environmental quality, which threatens to undermine the sustainable development that the region is aiming for.

In order to achieve sustainable development goals among the GMS countries, green growth is seen as an integral pathway to follow. This concept calls for economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which communities’ well-being relies. In order to generate high-level consensus from the GMS countries and relevant stakeholders to scale up investments in green interventions and to respond to global and subregional environmental challenges and emerging opportunities, environment ministers from the six GMS countries recently met again to review progress and set the agenda for environmental cooperation in the region. Taking place every three years, the 2018 occasion was the Fifth Greater Mekong Subregion Environment Ministers’ Meeting (EMM5), which took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

EMM5 deliverables included endorsement of the GMS Core Environment Program (CEP) Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2018-2022 and consolidated environment pipeline and, for notation, signing of the MoU on transboundary biodiversity cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia.

The formal EMM5 meeting of ministers on 1 February was preceded by a forum on inclusive green growth on 30 and 31 January. It included dialogues on the topics of investing in natural resources, green energy, sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience. […]

The Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems (DWIR) is considering a combination of river training structures and dredging to improve year-round and safe accessibility to the port of Mandalay. ICEM has been engaged to prepare the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Subproject 1.

The project is part of the World Bank funded Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBMP), which aims at finding and implementing technical and operational schemes for making improvements of the navigability of the Ayeyarwady River Basin. The goal is “to improve inland water transport in priority stretches of the Ayeyarwady River and design a cost-effective and environmentally and socially acceptable strategy for managing the full length of the navigation channel”.

Public consultation for the draft ESIA and ESMP for Subproject 1 will take place on Thursday, 18 January at the Triumph Hotel in Mandalay at 08:45 am.

The objectives of the public consultation for the draft ESIA/ESMP for Subproject 1 are to:

Present an overview of Component 3 of the AIRBMP and Subproject 1;

Outline the technical solutions and detailed designs for Subproject 1 based on the results of modeling and simulations;

Review the key findings of the draft ESIA/ESMP of Subproject 1;

Discuss stakeholder issues and opportunities to be included in the final ESIA/ESMP for Subproject 1; and

Outline next steps in relation to the implementation of the Draft ESIA/ESMP and Subproject 1.

The overall objectives of Subproject 1 are to achieve a Least Available Depth (LAD) of 2.0 m for a design of 1,000 dead weight tonne. The river training works and dredging will allow vessels to pass more heavily loaded during dry season, increasing the efficiency of passenger and […]

Approximately 15.4 million people, just under 30 % of the population of Myanmar, live in Myanmar’s Dry Zone. Most villages, towns and cities rely on groundwater for potable water supplies, and away from the Ayeyarwady River and tributaries, the Dry Zone is extremely short of water. Villagers without tubewells travel great distances to collect small quantities of water from shallow dugwells and polluted earth ponds.

The Ayeyarwady is one of the most important of Myanmar’s rivers for economic development, yet relatively little is still known about this key waterway. Team members of component three of the Myanmar Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management (AIRBM) project, recently turned to local community members to fill some of the gaps in information necessary to inform the future development of the river.

Hanoi, Vietnam – August 7, 2017: Series of publications on the promotion of bioengineering in Vietnam now available

The impact of natural events such as floods, droughts and coastal storms will become more severe as populations grow and the landscape is increasingly modified. Northern Vietnam is one area at risk, as climate change is projected to increase the severity of extreme events in the region. This change puts infrastructure like roads and irrigation schemes at greater risks from impacts of flash floods and landslides. The cost of building new infrastructure and repairing existing infrastructure will be high.

In many parts of the world, vegetation has been incorporated in engineering design to protect natural terrain and man-made structures from the problems associated with land degradation, but bioengineering has seen little uptake in Vietnam.

Objectives included the promotion of effective bioengineering measures in road and riverbank slope protection, and initiating the development of a relevant policy framework so that the techniques employed in these bioengineering demonstrations can be replicated elsewhere in the country. A grant for the project was provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the ADB. The project was carried out by ICEM in association with Philkoei, working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The project focused on rural irrigation, slope stability for roads, riverbank protection, and flood protection works. Lessons learned from the project provided the basis for capacity building activities with local community members, contractors and government staff at local, provincial and national […]

The Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems (DWIR) is considering a combination of river training structures and dredging to improve year-round and safe accessibility to the port of Mandalay. ICEM has been engaged to prepare the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Subproject 1.

The draft scoping reports for the ESIA and ESMP for Subproject 1 are now available for public comment. To meet the requirements of the Myanmar EIA procedures (2015) and World Bank safeguard policies a Public Consultation meeting will be conducted on Friday 4th August, 2017 in Mandalay to review the Draft Scoping Report. The scoping reports are part of component three of the Myanmar Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management (AIRBM) project. Managed by DWIR with support from the World Bank, the AIRBM project aims to develop and enhance navigation for the full navigable length of the river from Mandalay to Yangon. Navigation is proposed to be enhanced by river training by constructing groynes, guide bunds etc. in the river channel, bank protection works, dredging and installation of navigation aids such as signage, buoys and lighting.

The ESIA will assess the baseline and potential impacts of river improvement works and lead to the preparation of an ESMP and a monitoring framework for the developments. This will ensure that measures are put in place to avoid and mitigate impacts and enhance the sub-project benefits. The environmental and social impacts of sub-project 1 will need to be considered during both the construction and operational phases.

Thailand has long recognised that river basin modelling provides important evidence to inform basin planning and integrated water resources management (IWRM). Flood management is closely linked with the broader issues of river basin planning and IWRM, and the need to strengthen it has become urgent after the severe floods of 2011, which affected almost 14 million people across 65 of Thailand’s 77 provinces.

New data on key infrastructure, social indicators and environmental issues are being gathered and updated for the Ayeyarwady River between Mandalay and Nyaung Oo. The data will contribute to an environmentally and socially acceptable strategy for managing the future development of inland water transport (IWT) in Myanmar.

*UPDATE: The deadline for public review has been extended to 20 July 2017

The draft Baseline Assessment Report for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar is now available for public review. The document (presented in eight separate chapters) will be available from today (8 June) until 22 June 2017. Following this review period, the baseline chapters will undergo a final round of revisions and comments will be included in the annex. The release of the draft chapters follows on a series of national, basin and local level stakeholder consultations, during which sustainability principles and key themes were refined in order to identify the key strategic environmental and social issues for each river basin.

What have we learned so far? What are the gaps to be highlighted? And what are the inter-relationships of the issues concerned? These are the questions that were answered during the recent dialogue between government and NGO representatives of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) countries and technical experts from regional organisations.

Hanoi, Vietnam – May 25, 2017: Project to demonstrate effective bioengineering application in northern Vietnam draws to a close

After over four years, the ADB Capacity Development Technical Assistance project Promoting Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam has drawn to a close. The recent final workshop was used as an opportunity to review the project outputs and explore a way forward, including the identification of entry points and next steps for using the project outputs to mainstream bioengineering in Vietnam.

The objective of the project is to increase resilience of infrastructure in the northern provinces of Vietnam. It has demonstrated how non-conventional engineering solutions can strengthen rural infrastructure, resist the hazards associated with climate changes and provide opportunities to enhance community livelihoods. The project focuses on bioengineering as a low-cost alternative to conventional slope stabilization and protection techniques.

The project has centred on testing various measures and tools for assessment, design, construction and monitoring of cost-effective climate resilient bioengineering-focused works at five locations in four sites, across three provinces in northern Vietnam (Bac Kan, Son La and Thai Nguyen). Two of the demonstration sites focus on riverbank slope protection, while the remaining two focus on roadside slope protection.

The final workshop took place in Hanoi on 5 May, and brought together project team members, representatives from the target provinces and communes across the four project sites, and national government representatives.

“It is imperative that climate change adaptive action is a key component of development going forward,” said UNDP Project Advisor, Ms. Jenty Kirsch-Wood. “The cost of adaptation will be huge, and the numbers are staggering. Without effective action, sustainable development will be more difficult. This project is about methods of mainstreaming effective adaptation into government cycles, focusing on low-cost, low-regret […]

The Sekong, Sesan and Sre Pok basins are richly endowed with natural resources and support the livelihoods of an estimated 3.5 million people living in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. In early-March, potential trade-offs among development decisions in the 3S basins, and their social, economic and environmental risks were the topic of a dialogue involving government representatives of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) countries and technical experts from regional organisations.

ICEM Director General, Dr Jeremy Carew-Reid contributed a chapter on strategic environmental assessment of mainstream hydropower development in the Mekong to the recently published Routledge Handbook of the Environment in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam’s northern mountainous provinces are particularly vulnerable to intense storms which may become more frequent and intense due to the impact of climate change. The area is already prone to landslides and floods, but these could become more severe, damaging infrastructure and livelihoods and leaving the provinces with irreplaceable losses. To help the Vietnamese government and communities to protect rural infrastructure from the impacts of climate change, the GEF-funded project Promoting Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam was implemented in 2012.

Rapid and unplanned urbanization leave cities and towns across the world vulnerable to environmental challenges, including the impact of extreme weather events such as floods and droughts and slow onset changes such as sea level rise. This impact is likely to become more severe due to climate change, threatening infrastructure and sustainability. Nature-based solutions, or green infrastructure, can play a significant role in building urban resilience to these challenges through the rehabilitation and expansion of natural ecosystems within built areas. It provides a foundation strategy to sustainable urban development.

With natural hazards such as flooding, drought and storms set to increase, and urban populations and infrastructure to expand rapidly, urban planners must be able to assess disaster risk and threats associated with climate change in a holistic and integrated manner.

A toolkit that will enable Cambodian government staff to see what climatic changes are on the cards in areas where they are planning developments, is being created by ICEM. The toolkit will, among others, allow for projected climate change parameters to be incorporated in project design and management across all arms of government.ICEM introduced the GIS Climate Change Toolkit, which is still in development, this December at a one-day training workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, attended by various government agencies and NGOs.

How can community based river health monitoring be established to complement official or conventional monitoring? This is one of the central questions of the Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative (MHRI), and a big step towards answering it has recently been made.

The Sekong, Sesan and Sre Pok are transboundary tributaries of the Mekong River. The 3S basins, as they are collectively known, are richly endowed with natural resources and make an important contribution to national and regional development while supporting the livelihoods of 3.5 million people living in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. However, there is a critical need to understand and respond to the risks inherent in the current "growth at all costs" paradigm.

The Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the General Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development is requesting submissions of descriptions of credible climate change adaptation and disaster risk practices under two themes:

Indigenous/traditional practices for climate change adaptation and DRR; and

Practices that promote climate resilience and empowerment of women, children and youth.

The contribution will enhance and share knowledge on approaches to climate resilience appropriate to Cambodia. Practices then can be up-scaled to widely apply across Cambodia to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Up to 15 of the best documented practices will be shared at a national ‘Conference on Community Based Climate Change Response Practices in Cambodia’, to be held on 29-30 November 2016. They will also be published as part of a compendium of practices for distribution at national and international level.

The call is open to Cambodia-based non-government organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), university researchers, students, local communities and the private sector. Submissions can be either in Khmer or in English.

This forms part of the ADB project Mainstreaming Climate Resilience into Development Planning. It aims to strengthen Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) coordination, technical support, and capacity of national and provincial policymakers, technical staff and civil society organizations to mainstream climate resilience into development planning. Two other outputs of the project include the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and detailed feasibility studies for selected National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) projects, and the development and dissemination of climate change adaptation knowledge products.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm (Cambodia time) on Wednesday, 2 November 2016.

What have we learned about bioengineering and its potential to increase infrastructure resilience to the impacts of climate change?
From the 4th to the 6th of October, ICEM - International Centre for Environmental Management, together with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), hosted a workshop to review the results of four bioengineering demonstration sites, summarize the lessons learned, and discuss the way forward.

In order to gather necessary information to build a broad understanding of urban development challenges, in particular natural hazards and climate-related threats, ICEM technical specialists recently carried out a series of roundtable meetings and site visits in seven towns across three countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

Building on its track record of Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial analysis expertise, ICEM has recently expanded its team of technical experts in this field. This has increased the organisation’s capacity for specialist projects—allowing them to develop a new modelling package, while also keeping focus on ICEM’s expanding suite of ongoing projects.

A new generation of Vietnamese engineers are being introduced to the concept of green infrastructure and bioengineering that can be used to reduce the vulnerability of infrastructure to climate change.
This September, ICEM team led a group of professors and students from University of Transport and Communications (UTC) on a field visit to a bioengineering demonstration site in Thai Nguyen.

"I have seen many changes in the river since I was young," said Pham Maw, a resident of Sein Pan Kone in Northern Myanmar. Pham Maw was one of the stakeholders who recently participated in workshops where views on the state of two of Myanmar's key rivers, and how they should be managed, were shared.

On the 13th and 14th of June, 2016, together with ADB and MARD, ICEM hosted the Bioengineering Workshop: Design & Construction (Roads) in Thai Nguyen. The workshop is the latest development of the ADB project Promoting Climate Resilience in Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam.

The wet season's first few rains have started to fall over the parched Mekong Delta. Though it will take more than a few drops to ease the impacts of the recent drought, the rains still come as a relief.
This year's strong El Niño phenomenon has wreaked havoc on the Delta and regions in Central Vietnam. Drought has caused farms to dry up and crops to wither.

In 2015, ICEM conducted a thorough survey for the ADB of soil types, land use, and slope across the GMS to identify regions of high suitability for biochar production. Biochar is the carbon rich product produced when biomass such as such as wood, manure or leaves, is heated with little or no available oxygen.

Together with International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and Myanmar Institute for Integrated Development (MIID), and Ecosystem Conservation and Community Development Initiative (ECCDI), ICEM is engaging in community level river health assessments to tease out important information for the Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative. The Initiative is part of a larger suite of projects being supported by WLE Mekong.

A landlocked nation of eight million people, the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao (Lao PDR) is a country with a wealth of water and natural resources. However, despite recent growth over the past two decades, Lao PDR remains amongst the poorest nations in the world – especially in the nation’s majority rural communities where development has been slow and poverty remains entrenched.

Hosted by the International Journal Hydropower and Dams and the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Lao PDR, the Sixth International Conference on Water Resources and Hydropower Development in Asia will take place March 1 – 3 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The Conference brings together hydropower experts from within Asia and across the globe.

Mekong Citizen is a multimedia platform that brings together the voices and stories of citizens of the Greater Mekong.
Among its stories, the site features Dialogues with the Rivers, a photo and story compilation of experiences of those living along the banks of Vietnam's many rivers...

How do we bring nature back?
ICEM answers that in its documentary on green infrastructure and bioengineering in the Mekong region. Bringing Nature Back outlines some of the worst climate impacts to be faced by the Mekong over the coming decades and how nature-based solutions can be employed to mitigate them.

The 3rd Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) Coordination Team meeting was held in the Himawari Hotel on 14 December in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. The event was chaired by HE Dr. Sabo Ojano and supported by Dr. Ancha Srinivasan of ADB.

The L-CRVA project in Saravane and Sekong provinces is part of a broader initiative from UNDP - The Effective Governance for small-scale rural infrastructure & disaster preparedness in changing climate.
Over the week of 16 November 2015, the ICEM team launched the project's baseline activities with a national consultation in Vientiane, a provincial/district workshop in Saravane and a demonstration baseline field assessment in Saravane province.

In November in Battambang, Cambodia, 75 experts, practitioners, and planners came together for a three-day intensive on Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning.
Held as part of Cambodia’s Department of Climate Change Strategic Program for Climate Resilience, this workshop drew representatives from MOWRAM, MAFF, MPWT, MRD and other agencies like MoE, NCDRM, MEP, MoP, MoFA.

The Vietnam National Mekong Committee (VNMC) held a Special Session on the Mekong Delta Study as part of last week's WLE 2015 Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food, and Energy.
ICEM provides technical support to the VNMC through financial support by the Australian government and acted as facilitator for the Special Session.

Among other activities, ICEM hosted two working sessions at this year's Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food, and Energy.
Co-hosted by the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment of the Royal Cambodian Government, and the International Water Management Institute, the Forum is the largest event in the Mekong Region to address the confluence of water, food and energy.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently hosted a training session for water and urban development professionals to tackle climate change risks, climate risk management, and climate resilient solutions in the water sector.

The Lao PDR Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessments for Rural Infrastructure (L-CRVA) kicked off with a series of working sessions and field missions in southern Laos. The project, which aims to build capacity in assessing the climate risk and vulnerability of water infrastructure systems in Sekong and Saravane provinces.

Tarek Ketelsen, ICEM Technical Director, will present as a keynote speaker at this year's International RiverSymposium to be held in Brisbane, Australia.
Held annually, this premier event brings together river managers, policy developers, scientists, consultants, NGOs and community organisations to share knowledge and innovative ideas on all aspects of river and water management. The theme for this year's Symposium is “Healthy Rivers – Healthy Economies”.

Flooding in the Xe Ban Fay River in central Lao PDR has recently inundated several hundreds of hectares of rice fields adjacent to its banks. Heavy rains have caused the river to reach water levels of almost 19 meters.
An agreement signed between the Lao PDR government and Nam Theun 2 states dictates that when water levels reach 14.40m, the dam slows its release into the river. The dam halts releases completely when that level reaches 14.90m. As such, the Nam Theun 2 has been withholding releases for several days.

ICEM Wins UNDP's Lao PDR-based Effective Governance for Small‐Scale Rural Infrastructure and Disaster Preparedness in a Changing Climate
Climate change adaptation is a maturing field worldwide. In recent years the Government of Lao PDR (GoL) has invested significant efforts to build the climate resilience of it’s communities, natural and built resources, and sectors. Some of the country's key initiatives include:

Urban areas are recognised internationally as a critical component for realising green growth. Cities concentrate environmental issues from air and water pollution, solid waste and GHG emissions, and frequently face challenges posed by poor drainage, sanitation and flood control. Moreover, providing urban services and infrastructure offers opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of provision while increasing resilience and addressing social and economic development needs.

On 7 July 2015, the Royal Cambodian Government’s Climate Change Department (CCD), with the support of ICEM, set forth a comprehensive plan for strengthening climate change resilience in the Agriculture, Water, Urban and Transport sectors at a workshop on the ADB technical assistance (TA) project - “Mainstreaming Climate Resilience into Development Planning in Cambodia (MCRDP TA 8179-CAM) Package 1”.

Led by ADB as part of Promoting Climate-Resilient Development.
Prepared by ICEM - International Centre for Environmental Management.
As the impacts of a changing climate begin to appear across the GMS, it becomes increasingly important that Mekong towns develop strategies to adapt and thrive. The Resource Kit for Building Resilience and Sustainability in Mekong Towns is a seven-volume kit that contains the tools to do just that.

Cambodia Climate Resilience Kicks Off With High-Level Roundtable Discussions
In February 2015 ICEM commenced work on a major new initiative to support of the Royal Cambodian Government (RGC) to strengthen resilience to climate change. The project entitled ‘Mainstreaming climate resilience into development planning’ is a four-year program funded by ADB under the global Climate Investment Funds initiative. The project aims to ensure that the RGC has sustained institutional and technical capacity to integrate adaptation concerns into development planning and is part of the RGC and ADB’s USD$555 million Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR).

Bioengineering Project in Bac Kan, Vietnam Sees Early Success
ICEM's first bioengineered slope project in Bac Kan Province is showing early signs of success.
The test site is divided into four sections, with each section testing and showcasing a different green infrastructure technique. The sections showing the most growth thus far are sections 1 and 4, Brush Layering and Vetiver Grass.

ICEM, ADB and MARD hold a workshop on Bioengineering: Design and Construction for Riverbanks.
The workshop covered the various stages of riverbank protection: objectives, planning, site investigation, selection of options, design, and also included a site visit to the demonstration site at SP4 in Thanh Mai Commune, where construction is now complete.

ICEM Visits Fishing Villages in theAyeyarwady Delta
In March of 2015, ICEM Environmental Scientist Luke Taylor and partners on the Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative toured the Ayeyarwady Delta to speak with fishing villagers and gather local knowledge and experience from those living closest to the river.

ICEM presented at this year’s FOSS4GNA in San Francisco. FOSS4GNA is one of the largest global gatherings focused on open source geospatial software. It brings together developers, users, decision-makers and observers from a broad spectrum of organizations and fields of operation to foster the development of and support for open source geospatial software in a variety of fields.

The presentation focused on ICEM’s map Impact of Water Supply Infrastructure on Floods and Droughts in the Mekong Region, which was built as part of the Optimising Cascades project. This interactive map highlights results of a study of 67 Mekong dams for indicators such as flood control capacity and natural flood threat of the dam’s catchment. Users are given the option to change which indicator they are viewing at any given time, thus changing the overall picture of floods and dams in the basin. Each map element contains deeper data and information.

The presentation highlighted in particular the Lower Se San Dam, which coincided well with the keynote delivered by Planet Labs, whose high-resolution satellite imagery recently captured the dam’s rapid construction.

FOSS4GNA also afforded the opportunity to develop connections with Development Seed. Development Seed’s work focuses mainly on humanitarian aid, however, its OpenDataKit collection of software, originally designed to gather spatial and on-the-ground information in refugee camps in Lebanon, will likely prove very effective in ICEM’s upcoming projects on the Salween and Irrawaddy rivers in […]

Biochar Project Begins with Rapid Tour of GMS Countries
ICEM's Biochar team has kicked off the project with a tour of the region's six participating countries to perform the project's rapid fire assessment of biochar potential in the GMS.

Aimed at building capacity amongst government officials on climate risk assessment and management, the workshop provided participants with a comprehensive two-day training on climate risk management approaches, climate data utilisation for impact and vulnerability assessment, economic and technical analysis in adaptation assessment and planning, and financial architecture on climate change adaptation initiatives in partnership with the private sector.

In 2014, Nam Ngiep 1 Power Company (NNP1PC) commissioned ICEM to undertake a climate change risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) of their Nam Ngiep 1 hydropower facility. The NNP1 CRVA was to be the first comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts to a hydropower facility in Lao PDR and the Mekong Region, and one of the first few comprehensive studies worldwide. The overall objective of the study was to assess the climate risk of the proposed Nam Ngiep Hydropower 1 Project (NNP1) in Lao PDR, and to identify measures to increase its climate resilience.

ICEM Brings Spatial Expertise to Mekong Delta Forum
The Mekong Delta Forum, co-hosted by MARD, MONRE, World Bank, Australian Aid, Kingdom of the Netherlands, was held in Ho Chi Minh City over February 2 & 3, 2015.
The Forum brought together experts, dignitaries, and professionals to address the "what" and "why" of:

ICEM hydrologists have been undertaking field monitoring and training with researchers from WorldFish, the National University of Lao (NUoL), and Ubon Ratchathani Universtiy (UBU).
The project Informing Fish Passage in the Mekong River aims to assess the swimming capabilities of migratory fish species in the Khone Falls, Chapasak in Southern Laos.

On December 13th and 14th 2014, ICEM, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Thai Government’s National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) hosted a National Workshop on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Thailand at the Woraburi Ayothaya Convention Resort in Ayutthaya.

ICEM has been awarded an Asia wide Urban Resilience prize for its work on “Green Infrastructure as a Foundation for Resilience in Mekong Towns.”
In October, the U.S. Global Development Lab, USAID's Regional Development Mission for Asia, UN Habitat and UNDP hosted the Asia Urban Futures Workshop, a two-day international meeting to address climate-related issues and opportunities facing rapidly urbanising Asian cities. The meeting brought science and technology together with the development community to discuss these rising challenges and share solutions.

Over 60 participants from the 6 countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) came together in a workshop that examined ‘Mekong Protected Areas and Climate Change – Implications for Livelihoods and Development” The workshop was held from 8-10 October 2014, in Bangkok, Thailand, and was organized by the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) GMS Environment Operations Center (GMS-EOC). Environmental policy makers, international and national conservation organizations and protected area managers attended the event.

In kicking off the event, ICEM’s Jeremy Carew-Reid said that “We are members of the protected area family, a family with a Mission. We are starting on a journey and the destination of that journey is to put protected areas and biodiversity back where they belong – centre stage in the discussions on sustainable development”

Protected areas in the Mekong Region are still largely set within landscapes and seascapes of small-scale fishers and farmers although over the last 20 years the GMS Region has developed rapidly, regional integration of transport infrastructure and markets has progressed significantly, and large-scale commercial agriculture and industrial-scale plantations have grown in importance. With the imminent arrival of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 this transformation of the region is set to continue.

“Now more than ever, protected areas are vitally important, not just for biodiversity conservation, but for the water food and energy security underpinning all of this economic activity” said Robert Mather, Head of IUCN Southeast Asia group, adding that “ The […]

DELTA Tools Project Team visits Mekong Delta
The DELTA Tools project aims to bring climate modeling, hydropower development projections, and land use change together with data on infrastructure investments to facilitate high quality decision making in the Mekong Delta.

ICEM releases Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment of Nepal’s REDD+ Strategy and companion Environmental and Social Management Framework
The deforestation and degradation of forest accounts for a significant amount of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere. Research carried out by the IPCC has revealed that almost 20% of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere comes from global forest degradation and deforestation.

In this report, ICEM has drawn from the past decade of climate change and natural systems work in the Mekong region to summarise findings and lessons for small holder farms and landscape management. Mekong farms and their surrounding areas are integrated systems in which all the habitats, species and their genetics interact with each other and the physical environment, and contribute to farm productivity.

Gathering of Local Climate Experts in Kaysone Phomvihane an International First
Local experts from Kaysone, Laos, Battambang, Cambodia, and Dong Ha, Vietnam came together 25 – 27 July 2014 to share results and combine their learning after conducting climate change impact and vulnerability assessments in their towns. The Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop took place as part of the Climate Resilience in Cities project, ADB TA 8186.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – 2-3 July 2014: ICEM and ADB host the National Workshop on Strengthening Integrated Water and Flood Management Implementation in Thailand

On July 2nd and 3rd 2014, ICEM and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) hosted the National Workshop on Strengthening Integrated Water and Flood Management Implementation (IWRM) in Thailand at the Eastin Grand Sathorn Hotel in Bangkok. The workshop was held to promote awareness and consensus on the issues, tools and processes for improving water resource management in Thailand’s river basins, in particular flood and drought prevention and mitigation and water pollution control.

Over the two days, representatives and key personnel from major water management agencies at the national and provincial level, as well as international organisations and the private sector collaboratively discussed and worked through the opportunities and obstacles to IWRM in Thailand.

The workshop saw dynamic presentations and panel discussions about the future of water resource planning in Thailand. Key presentations included:

The Application of Satellite Monitoring Tools in Water Resource ManagementAnond Snidvongs – Director General of the Geo-informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)

Economic Planning at River Basin Level to Achieve Sustainable Resource UseLadawan Kumpa – Deputy Secretary General of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB)

Using Managed Aquifer RechargeSittisak Manyou – Senior Geologist of the Department of Groundwater Resources on Mitigation of Floods, Drought and Groundwater Level Declination in Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and Phichit Provinces

How to maintain sustainability in water resources and natural systems while achieving flood and drought protectionSongtam Suksawang – Director of the Research Division, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP)

ICEM's Mainstreaming Climate Risk Management in Development project has been featured in a recent article by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Published as part of the Foundation's Human Impact series, the article outlines actions of the ADB-funded project and Nepal's government to coordinate efforts across ministries to build climate resilience into infrastructure planning.

ICEM consultants on the ADB Mainstreaming climate change risk management in development project recently undertook a field trip to the remote Mustang district, Nepal. During the field trip the team collected information on development sector infrastructure for undertaking climate change vulnerability assessments for the district.

There are currently upwards of 140 medium and large-scale hydropower projects existing and under consideration across the Lower Mekong Basin. Typically, national and regional planners have had trouble identifying the projects that have the greatest associated flood risk, and developing appropriate measures to incorporate flood control. ICEM’s Reservoir Flood Control Index (the Index) tool will identify these projects and provide an indication of basin-wide priorities for integrating flood control into reservoir design and operations.

The Index uses multi-criteria analysis to assess catchment hydrological characteristics (or the potential for flooding) against the physical and technical capacity of hydropower dams to store and release floodwater, as well as the possible extent of impact on downstream inhabitants and land-use. By using a two-step process, the Index integrates these diverse characteristics to rank flood threat, flood control and downstream damage for hydropower across the basin in a clear and transparent risk table. Planners can then consult the table to understand whether the reservoir will fall into one of the three main categories:

Government officials in towns along the Greater Mekong Sub-region East-West Economic Corridor have enthusiastically taken up the challenge of boosting their capacity to deal with climate change and formulate innovative adaptation solutions.
Over the past few months, ICEM has been working with the towns of Kaysone Phomvihane (Lao PDR) and Dong Ha (Vietnam), to strengthen their capacity to manage climate change.

A recent ICEM study has shown that climate change influenced landslides and flooding poses a serious threat to major National transport arteries in Viet Nam, such as the north-south National Road 14 and Ha Noi to HCMC Railway Line.

Viet Nam has invested heavily in transport infrastructure over the past decade. This has led to significant improvements to the road network in particular, with a five-fold increase in paved surface over the past seven years and a 30,000km increase in total length. However, the potential threat from climate change to the network was until now, not well understood.

This study is part of a two year (2012 to 2014) Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded technical assistance project to support the Government’s National Target Programme to respond to climate change (NTP-RCC), with one of the main aims being to develop a better understanding of the potential impact from climate change to the transport sector. The work has included a rigorous consultative process with ministerial and provincial transport stakeholders, field visits to major assets, detailed modelling to determine current and 2050 climate conditions, and GIS spatial analysis.

The study found that of the various climate threats that could impact transport assets, landslides have the most potential to cause catastrophic damage, followed by floods.

Results also showed that National Road 14 (known as HCM Highway), which is a critical artery from Ha Noi to HCMC, is the transport asset that will experience the greatest exposure to landslides in Viet Nam in future climate. Compared to current climate conditions, the length at the highest risk will increase by 50% to 200km by 2050. In addition, approximately 120km of this road that was previously only at moderately exposed will, due to climate change, […]

ICEM led a session exploring the potential of renewable energy in the Lower Mekong Basin at the recent 3rd Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy (19-21 November 2013, Hanoi).
The key areas of focus were:

Whether small-scale and grid-connected renewables have the potential to substitute or complement the rapid rollout of large-scale hydropower in the Mekong;

The technical potential for alternative technologies in the region, and the ‘gap’ that exists between the planned renewable energy expansion and the large technical potential that remains untapped; and

The electricity sector is the single largest source of GHG emissions. Proponents of large hydropower projects (i.e. with a capacity greater than 30MW) rightly emphasise low emissions relative to other sources of electricity. At the same time large hydropower remains controversial in the region due to significant direct environmental and social impacts. Concerns relating to both global and local environmental impacts have lead to calls for a more serious consideration of renewables as a low carbon alternative to large hydropower, but this begs the question as to the roles played by these very different technologies, and the relationship between them in electricity systems.

The lion’s share of power in lower Mekong basin countries currently comes from gas and large-scale hydropower. Only a small fraction – around 5% – is supplied by other renewables such as wind, solar, biogas and smaller-scale hydropower. But this modest beginning will form the basis for exponential growth. Current power development plans in the basin envisage five-fold renewable electricity generation grow from an estimated 3.5GW in 2010 to 15.5GW or 9% by 2025. Large-scale hydropower is also set to double from 18.2GW to 36GW. Unlike […]

An ICEM study has revealed that the drought suffered by some communities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam could be substantially avoided, if they are given access to the vast resources of the Yali Reservoir.

People living in the Central Highlands of Vietnam are increasingly facing the challenges of drought and extreme water shortage. Many rivers and streams, which are used for agricultural, irrigation and domestic consumption, often completely dry out in the dry season. Worsening droughts threaten agriculture production, which not only affects community life, but also weakens the provincial economy.

This is a particular challenge in the Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces – which is where the vast Yali Reservoir is located. The Yali Reservoir is one of Vietnam’s largest, at 65 square km. Currently this reservoir supplies the hydropower dam, producing approximately 3,680 gigawatt hours (GWh) of power to the national grid system. Since commissioning in 2001, the reservoir has not been utilised by the communities of the Central Highlands. Instead, it has been solely used for the generation of electricity.

ICEM conducted a study as part of the Mekong Challenge Program on Water and Food to assess whether water from this reservoir could be used to provide the water needs of local communities, and to analyse the potential trade-offs in terms of energy production. The study investigated community water resource needs in the Yali catchment and found that livelihoods of communities here – approximately 33, 200 people – rely heavily on water resources for their livelihoods. ICEM researchers considered whether the Yali Reservoir could be used to provide a steady water source for these communities, particularly in the dry season […]

ICEM's Jeremy Sung is visiting project sites in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam as part of an ICEM study into climate change threats and vulnerabilities in provincial towns. Here, he finds out how devastating poor drainage systems can be in rural towns.
KAYSONE PHOMVIHANE, LAO PDR - 17 September 2013: Today we're in In Kaysone Phomvihane (Lao PDR), conducting meetings to analyse critical infrastructure and discuss climate change threats and vulnerabilities with government officials and local groups.

HANOI, VIETNAM – 8 August 2013: The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is currently experiencing a massive expansion of power projects, which are projected to cause immense social, economic and ecological impacts. Emissions from power plants here are expected to exponentially increase over the next 15 years, with far-reaching implications for public health, livelihoods and the environment.

Managing the GMS power development in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner is a huge challenge. However, as part of a major project to investigate regional potential for renewable energy, ICEM has recently developed scenarios which indicate that a 25% target for renewable energy in the region by 2025 could be realistic, cost effective and more ecologically sustainable than current power development plans. Scenarios with greater energy efficiency appear even more sustainable.

ICEM’s director Dr. Jeremy Carew-Reid said: “Current usage of renewable energy sources in the GMS make up about 2-5% of total energy supply. However, a 25% target for renewables is a realistic balance for GMS countries to work to achieve. This would reduce difficult trade-offs between economic, social and environmental factors and help to ensure energy security in the region. ICEM have shown through our scenario modeling that green growth can be achievable and cost-effective in the GMS.”

The findings are part of an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) by ICEM, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the French Development Agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD) which has focused on ways to ensure sustainable regional power development*. A GMS Database has been developed, tracking the regional power plans, considering power plant location, capacity and outputs per year until 2025**. This database provides a comprehensive overview of national and regional power plans. The consolidated data provides a baseline for modeling future […]

Heavy rains and flash floods caused by tropical storms this month are causing considerable damage to rural infrastructure in northern Vietnam. Projected impacts from climate change threaten to make conditions in poor mountainous areas even worse in the near future.

HANOI, VIETNAM – 15 July 2013: ICEM researchers have been visiting villages and meeting community members in Dak Lak province Vietnam, to more clearly understand the impacts of hydropower dams on their lives and livelihoods.

Villagers in these areas close to the Cambodia border are reporting diverse impacts from the decade-old hydropower dam projects on their experiences of flooding and drought. The most interesting aspect for ICEM researchers was how localized the impacts were felt. The villagers’ agricultural usage and the location of the individual villages and farms in relation to the cascading dams all impact significantly on whether they were experiencing adverse affects in terms of water supply management.

Farmers and villagers from Buon Don, Buon Tri, Drek B and Ea Mar village along the Srepok river were interviewed as part of a survey for the Mekong Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). This component of the program considers the impact of water supply infrastructure (WSI) on floods and droughts in the Mekong Region and the implications for food production.

The findings of the survey are especially important considering the projected impacts of climate change in the region, which is expected to increase the incidence of floods and droughts. Understanding the localized impacts related to the hydropower infrastructure means that the existing water management systems could be productively used manage water resources – both now and in the future.

The Srepok River is a major tributary of the Mekong River. Flowing from the Central Highlands of Vietnam into northeastern Cambodia, the river supports riparian communities who are largely dependent on fishing, lowland rice cultivation, and the collection of non-timber forest products for their livelihoods. Beginning in 2003, Vietnam’s state-owned Electricity of Vietnam began constructing the 280 MW […]

HANOI, VIETNAM – 13 May 2013: ICEM researchers have identified that the effects of climate change in the vulnerable Mekong wetlands will add to the threats on the critically endangered Siamese Crocodile.

Temperature changes during their breeding and hatching season are projected to become a critical climate change concern for the species. Climate change in the Mekong region is expected to cause temperature variability – which will affect the sex ratio of hatching reptiles.

Crocodile hatchlings – usually emerging in June or July – may become a completely female or male brood, depending on temperatures during incubation. Temperature is the critical component which defines the embryo sex of crocodiles. If the incubation temperature is higher than about 32oC, the brood will be female. In addition, warmer temperatures are also known to increase appetite in crocodiles, which combined with decreasing habitat may place further stress on the Siamese Crocodiles in the lower Mekong Basin.

The vulnerability of the Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) was identified during a case study was conducted in 2011 – 2012 in the Xe Champhone Wetlands by ICEM’s local partners in IUCN Lao. The study was part of a basin wide assessment of climate change threats, vulnerability and adaptation options for the wetlands in the Lower Mekong Basin and adaptation commissioned by the Mekong River Commission and carried out by ICEM and its partners, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, WorldFish Centre & Southeast Asia Regional START Centre. The Xe Champhone Wetlands covers approximately 450 km2 of central Lao PDR – part of the Xe Bang Hieng River basin. The Siamese Crocodile is the species of highest conservation concern in the region, which holds the largest population of this species in Lao PDR with […]

A Launch Workshop was held for the project Promoting Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam.
The Launch Workshop was held on 30 January 2013 at the Agricultural Projects Management Board (APMB) offices in Hanoi with 28 participants including representatives of Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the APMB, Bac Kan and Son La Provincial Project Management Units (PPMU), ADB and UNDP, and the ICEM team and support staff.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – 29 March 2013: A team of ICEM researchers today released the results from a study on climate change in the Lower Mekong Basin. A major finding in the study forecasts changes in temperature and rainfall altering the suitability for some important industrial and food crops in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ICEM was contracted by The Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change Project (Mekong ARCC) – to conduct the study, the first of its kind in the Mekong region, for USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA). The scientific team from ICEM looked at how changes in temperature and precipitation will affect growing conditions and yields for major crops like rice, maize, rubber, cassava, soya and coffee, as well as fisheries and livestock productivity. The study points to a number of “hotspots” around the region where climate change may have the strongest impact.

The region is highly dependent upon natural resources, with 70 percent of the basin’s 60 million people living as farmers and fishers, and highly vulnerable to changes in the climate and its impact on their livelihoods. The study represents the first step in the Mekong ARCC project’s effort to integrate science with local knowledge and help communities in the four countries prepare detailed local climate change adaptation assessments and plans for action. The study results will assist decision making and planning by government and business leaders in the four countries of the Lower Mekong Basin, which are exporters of crops like rubber, cassava and coffee.

Climate scientists generally agree that an average annual temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius is a critical threshold—beyond this, climate change will severely disrupt natural systems and people’s lives. But according to the study, some areas […]

HANOI, VIETNAM – 7 March 2013: Climate change is set to impact extensively on agricultural productivity, and force changes in land usage by 2050 in lower Mekong Basin countries, according to a new ICEM study as part of the Mekong ARCC project.

The finding of the study in agriculture were presented in a large info-graphics poster at Mekong Environmental Symposium 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Held 5-7 March 2013, the Mekong Environmental Symposium was an international platform for governmental decision-makers, scientists, and other organizations active in the Mekong context.

ICEM was present to contribute international expertise and to contribute to trans-disciplinary information exchange for the benefit of the river basin. Experts were present from all six riparian countries, in the fields of river ecology, environmental monitoring, hydrology, socio-economics, energy, disaster management, trade and other sectors. Approximately 300-350 participants attended the high-profile three-day event.

The findings of the study indicated that climate change will affect the lives and livelihoods of more than 42 million people in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) who depend entirely on agriculture. Changes to the Mekong monsoon could cause floods, droughts and increasingly violent storms, bringing huge challenges to the agricultural sector.

The study (2011-2013) assessed the climate change impacts on subsistence and commercial farming in the LMB by 2050. Key subsistence and commercial crop species were studied, namely; lowland rain-fed rice, soya, maize, cassava, robusta coffee and rubber. The study used the results of statistical downscaling of Global Circulation Models coupled with a land use suitability assessment tool to examine the impacts of projected changes in climate on the suitability of the six crops.

On 7-13 February 2013, a week long working session was held in Chitwan District, Nepal to develop and refine the climate change vulnerability assessment methodology and tools to be applied to sector infrastructure.
Following testing these tools will be adopted across government as a vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning method for integrating climate change in infrastructure development.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has contracted ICEM to provide technical assistance to the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to implement the project to Promote Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam.
The objective of the overall project is to reduce vulnerability of local infrastructure in the northern mountain areas of Vietnam to the adverse impacts of climate change, and also to create a policy framework conducive to promoting resilient development in the northern mountains zone.

ICEM in partnership with WorldFish has been awarded a project from Cargill Foundation to study Mekong fish migration and hydrology, to inform the sustainable design of fish passes for proposed hydropower projects.
The USD 580,000 study represents the first ever scientific assessment of the hydro-geomorphic conditions of fish migration dynamics on the Mekong River.

ICEM has been awarded the Asian Development Bank (ADB) project Mainstreaming Climate Change Risk Management in Development in Nepal, which began in July 2012 and will run to 2017.
ICEM is working with seven national government agencies responsible for infrastructure development throughout the country, such as irrigation, roads and bridges, flood and river management and water supply and sanitation.

HANOI, VIETNAM – 2 June 2012: ICEM has received the International Association for Impact Assessment’s (IAIA) Corporate Initiative Award for its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) work.

IAIA selected ICEM for this honour specifically for ICEM’s work on the SEA of twelve planned hydropower dams along the mainstream of the Mekong River and the SEA’s impact on the decision?making process. The IAIA award for corporate initiative is a global award presented to a private or public sector company for a specific activity or project that has made a notable contribution to responsible development practice through the application of impact assessment.

The award was presented to ICEM at IAIA’s annual conference event in Portugal. This event was the 32nd Annual Conference of the IAIA – entitled Energy Future; The Role of Impact Assessment (IAIA 12). The conference was held from 27 May-1 June 2012 at the Centro de Congresso da Alfândega, Porto, Portugal, from 27 May – 1 June 2012.

IAIA is the leading global network on best practice in the use of impact assessment for informed decision making regarding policies, programs, plans and projects.

Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Greater Mekong Subregion Power Plan
Following the success of ICEM’s SEA on the Mekong Mainstream, ICEM has been commissioned by the Asian Development Bank to complete a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess the GMS Power Transmission Master Plan and alternative GMS energy futures and their effects. The SEA will guide future energy policy options and propose ways of improving the environmental and social sustainability of the GMS power plan. The SEA also provides guidance for more specific assessments at the national, sub-national and project level and throughout the process builds the capacity of GMS Energy Planning Agencies and Utilities to undertake SEAs. The project will be run over 15 months and commence with an inception workshop to be held in Hanoi from March 14 – 18.

Support for the National Target Program on Climate Change – Vietnam
ICEM in partnership with NIRAS has been contracted by the Asian Development Bank to provide Support for the National Target Program (NTP) on Climate Change with a Focus on Energy and Transport in Vietnam. It is a two year project that commenced in February 2012 with inception workshops held in Hanoi. The project is one of the first projects in South East Asia of its scale to integrate mitigation and adaptation planning. The project aims to contribute to the effective implementation of detailed NTPCC Action Plans by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transport, Thanh Hoa Province, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang City to reduce the growth rate of GHG emissions from energy and transport sectors by 2020 and reduce infrastructure and productivity losses in the urban sector. The project will also aim to increase the capacity of the target […]